Jaxx take second at tourney

Monday

Jul 22, 2013 at 9:59 AM

Bill Choy

The Siskiyou Jaxx Senior Babe Ruth baseball squad endured 100-plus degree heat to take 2nd place at the Southern Oregon, Northern California State Tournament at Hibbard Field in Yreka.By taking 2nd the Jaxx qualify for regionals in Klamath Falls next week.Friday night the Jaxx opened things up with a 12-5 victory over Bonanza. On Saturday, Siskiyou fell to the Brookings-Harbor Mavericks 14-7 in the double elimination tournament.Sunday morning the Jaxx downed Bonanza again, this time 12-6 to earn a berth in the title contest 40 minutes later against the Mavericks.The Jaxx held tough and were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth when the Mavericks scored three runs on its way to a 5-2 victory.Last season the Jaxx won the tournament.Siskiyou head coach Steve Nell commended his squad for playing well overall at the tourney and for the majority of the season. Besides an off game in the pitching and defense department against Brookings on Saturday, Nell felt his fairly young squad fared well overall.Against Bonanza on Sunday, Tevin Cadola earned he victory. Nell added that a number of players, including Ricky Reynolds, Michael Schuler, Matt Jespersen and Dylan O'Gorman did a terrific job earning hits and producing runs. Versus Brookings on Sunday, besides one off inning, Nell believed his team fared well with its pitching and defense against a good Brookings squad.The problem, Nell said, was that "we just could not come up with big hits."Nell said that a disadvantage for the Jaxx was falling to Brookings on Saturday and dropping into the losers bracket. A win would have allowed them not to play again until the title game the next afternoon.Playing Bonanza in 100-plus degree weather and than going out again 40 minutes later to face Brookings was a challenge to overcome, Nell said. But, despite the loss, the squad persevered, he said.Nell thanked parents and community members for helping put on the tournament and making the event a successful one. The squad is now taking off for a few days and is set to come back for practice to prepare for regionals, where they will face teams from all over the the Western United States, including Idaho.